Hi, I'm planning to buy a new Nagano cartridge for my Thorens TD160 turntable. So, let's solve the VTA question: as starting point is better to put the arm parallel to the record or the shell/top surface of the cartridge parallel to the record? Explain your answers. Thanks!

On Tuesday, December 25, 2018 at 9:40:08 AM UTC-5, SuperKrundaal wrote:
> Hi, I'm planning to buy a new Nagano cartridge for my Thorens TD160 turntable. So, let's solve the VTA question: as starting point is better to put the arm parallel to the record or the shell/top surface of the cartridge parallel to the record? Explain your answers. Thanks!

First, the arm needs to be parallel to the surface. Otherwise (think about it), the angle of the arm may vary as it pivots. And, as records vary in thickness from the edge to the center, you will need to determine where to 'take' your parallel starting point. Further to all this, there is considerable variation in weight and thickness across the universe of LP records.

Second, few records are dead-flat in any case, there will be variations.

With that in mind, and third, the cartridge needs to be aligned carefully to the headshell, which, in turn, needs to be aligned carefully to the arm. This is a system, not a group of single items, and all must work together.

And, of course, you are running up against the fact that pivot-arm turntables are a series of compromises in the first place, as the relationship between the stylus, arm and record is 'perfect' at only one point anyway. A tangential-arm TT solves most of these compromises.